Visconti Amerigo Vespucci Marine Bronze Limited Edition Fountain Pen

The Visconti Amerigo Vespucci Marine Bronze Limited Edition Fountain Pen. 2012 marks the 500th anniversary of Amerigo Vespucci's death, the Florentine navigator who first recognized that the fourth continent was not part of Asia (as Columbus thought) but rather part of a "New World". In 1497, Amerigo addressed a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici with details of his discoveries. The letter caused such a stir that when Martin Waldeseemuller drew the first map of America 10 years later, he called the continent after the feminized Latin version of Amerigo's name: Americus Vespucius.

Vespucci was a skilled navigator and traveled to the "New World" on four separate occasions, discovering Rio de Janeiro and giving Venezuela, or "Little Venice", its name. King Ferdinand II of Aragon appointed Amerigo "Piloto Mayor de Castilla" in 1508, placing him in charge of new expeditions and training sailors in the use of the quadrant and the astrolabe. He stayed in this job until his death in 1512.

To create a pen commemorating this important 500th anniversary, Visconti took inspiration from symbolic events, primarily Vespucci's travels and Waldeseemuller's famous map of 1507. It would have been impossible to reproduce the entire map on a pen, so we chose sections depicting Europe and America. To reproduce it correctly, they further perfected their scrimshaw technique, introducing points and chiaroscuro into the graphic work.

The result is astonishing. Certain details, such as the caravelle, are almost painterly in the quality of their engraving.

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Additional Brand Information

Visconti is truly a company founded by pen lovers, for pen lovers. This outstanding company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1988 by Dante Del Vecchio and Luigi Poli. Visconti’s founders were fountain pen enthusiasts for many years before opening the company together. Since the company was founded, Visconti pens have been the pinnacle of extraordinary beauty, technological innovation and historical familiarity. Each piece is made from only the most precious materials combined with the most sophisticated and advanced technology. Visconti’s signature process of manipulating celluloid – “gold for pen specialists” – into vibrant colors and patterns as well as its numerous ink feeding and pen customization methods make Visconti writing instruments a stand out from its competitors. Visconti’s stylish designs and brilliantly original aspects have given it international acclaim as a personal as well as politically prestigious writing tool. Recently, a Visconti pen was used to sign the marriage contract of the sovereign prince of Monaco, Albert Grimaldi II, and Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock. Visconti has just released a commemorative pen to honor the couple’s marriage; a pen with royal sophistication and elegance that only Visconti could produce. Pen Boutique is an AUTHORIZED DEALER of Visconti writing instruments.